SALDANHA, Mariano José

SALDANHA, Mariano Jose Luis de Gonzaga. Ucassaim, Bardez, Goa 21.6.1878 — 1975. Portuguese (Goan?) Indologist. Professor in Lisbon. Educated at Lyceum of Nova Goa, Escola Médica de Goa and Escola Colonial in Lisbon, also studying Indology at university under Dalgado. In 1906 returned to India as physician. In 1915-29 Professor of Marathi and Sanskrit at Lyceum of Goa. In 1929-46 taught Sanskrit at Lisbon Uni­ver­sity. In 1946-48 Professor of Sanskrit and Konkani at Escola Superior Colonial. Retired 1958. Subdirector in Instituto de Línguas Africanas e Orientais.

He knew Sanskrit, but was more a scholar of Marathi and especially Konkani. He defended the position of Konkani as separate language and advocated the use of Latin alphabet for it.